Germany

In his discussion of German foreign policy’s supposed drift eastward, Hans Kundnani (“Leaving the West Behind,” January/February 2015) suggests that Germany has resisted imposing sanctions on Russia over its undeclared war with Ukraine—a sign, in his view, that Germany might once again desert the West in a flirtation with Russia.

Russia’s annexation of Crimea in March 2014 was a strategic shock for Germany. Suddenly, Russian aggression threatened the European security order that Germany had taken for granted since the end of the Cold War.

Christian Schaller and Johannes Thimm analyze Germany's policy priorities at the ITU conference in Busan, South Korea, arguing that Germany will go to Busan opposed to the expansion of the ITU mandate, but in search of ways to increase the ITU's technical capabilities to broaden access.

President of the United States Barack Obama and Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel held a press conference on May 2, 2014. They discussed the situation in Ukraine, potential additional sanctions against Russia, the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (T-TIP), and negotiations on rules for intelligence collection.

With the economic structural reforms enacted in many southern European countries now beginning to show results, German finance minister Wolfgang Schäuble joins Robert Kimmitt of the American Council of Germany to discuss the current state of the European economic recovery.

With the economic structural reforms enacted in many southern European countries now beginning to show results, German finance minister Wolfgang Schäuble joins Robert Kimmitt of the American Council of Germany to discuss the current state of the European economic recovery.

With the economic structural reforms enacted in many southern European countries now beginning to show results, German finance minister Wolfgang Schäuble joins Robert Kimmitt of the American Council of Germany to discuss the current state of the European economic recovery.

"There are several lessons that Germany could convey. The first is that reconciliation need not conform to the East Asian ideal. There is a tendency in East Asia to see reconciliation as perfect peace and harmony -- and therefore unattainable -- but Germany's was long, messy, and has not yet ended."

"Without a strong and assertive Germany, there can be no strong and assertive EU in the world. And without a more self-confident EU, the liberal global order―built and underpinned for decades by the United States―might not be sustainable. Germany must start to invest more in an order from which it has benefited so much over the decades."

"For the first time, German public schools are offering classes in Islam to primary school students using state-trained teachers and specially written textbooks, as officials try to better integrate the nation's large Muslim minority and counter the growing influence of radical religious thinking. The classes offered in Hesse State are part of a growing consensus that Germany, after decades of neglect, should do more to acknowledge and serve its Muslim population if it is to foster social harmony, overcome its aging demographics, and head off a potential domestic security threat."

"Germany is Europe's unrivaled superpower, its largest economy and its most powerful political force. And yet if its response to recent global crises, and the general attitude of its leaders and citizens, are any indication, there appears to be nothing that will get the German government to consider military intervention."

Benn Steil's latest Forbes op-ed, co-authored with Dinah Walker, shows why Greece may turn out to be a deciding factor in the German elections. While it is widely believed that a fresh mandate for Chancellor Merkel means more robust German involvement to end the eurozone crisis, they show why the loss of her FDP coalition partner could mean the opposite.

Secretary John Kerry and German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle held this press conference after their meeting on February 26, 2013. They discussed troops in Afghanistan, the Syria crisis, German-U.S. economic relations, and Iran.

CFR Experts Guide

The Council on Foreign Relations' David Rockefeller Studies Program—CFR's "think tank"—is home to more than seventy full-time, adjunct, and visiting scholars and practitioners (called "fellows"). Their expertise covers the world's major regions as well as the critical issues shaping today's global agenda. Download the printable CFR Experts Guide.

New Council Special Reports

Campbell evaluates the implications of the Boko Haram insurgency and recommends that the United States support Nigerian efforts to address the drivers of Boko Haram, such as poverty and corruption, and to foster stronger ties with Nigerian civil society.

Koblentz argues that the United States should work with other nuclear-armed states to manage threats to nuclear stability in the near term and establish processes for multilateral arms control efforts over the longer term.

The authors argue that it is essential to begin working now to expand and establish rules and norms governing armed drones, thereby creating standards of behavior that other countries will be more likely to follow.

2014 Annual Report

Learn more about CFR’s mission and its work over the past year in the 2014 Annual Report. The Annual Report spotlights new initiatives, high-profile events, and authoritative scholarship from CFR experts, and includes a message from CFR President Richard N. Haass.Read and download »